On Monday, four little fairies fluttered into Traci's yard and tended to her gardens. Marianne, Margret, Lisa and Ginny, the four fabulous fairies gave Traci's flowerbeds some much needed TLC.

What a tremendous surprise it was to find them working their wings off--without so much as word to the family that they would be there. I can't begin to express how fantastic it was to show up at Traci's house and see these Weller Elementary teachers hard at work in the yard. Spending their vacation helping a fellow teacher speaks volumes about the character of my mom's co-workers.

I want to emphasize the impact they made. Traci, mom, dad, and I are all equally thrilled that they stepped up and helped get Traci and Andy's house in order. The ladies were only discovered because Traci and our parents realized that Traci's house had been neglected for weeks and probably looked a mess. They decided to head over to do some gardening themselves only to stumble upon the fairies hard at work. They were so thrilled, they could barely contain their excitement. Relief flooded their faces for a few reasons. First, with four hard-working folks already knee deep in weeds, the time requirement for progress was greatly diminished. Second, most of the heavy labor had already been done (woo hoo!) and finally, as anyone that knows the ladies that work at Weller, with the fabulous four, there would be plenty of socialization to make the work (and time) fly by!

After many hours of labor, the yard looks amazing. What would've taken weeks for Traci to accomplish on her own was completed in just a day. Of course, weeds grow back, but the joy the whole family shares right now is enough to get us through the next stretch.

So to Marianne, Margret, Lisa and Ginny--THANK YOU from Traci, mom, dad and me!!! Please know that what you did really made a difference and is EXTRAORDINARILY appreciated. THANKS!!!!!

It's amazing. In the midst of what most might consider a tragedy, my family is become even more awesome than I ever thought possible. And that's saying something, because we were already setting the bar pretty high with our coolness-factor.

During the past few months, several family relationships have really blossomed. Most noteably, my immediate family's relationships with our extended family. Growing up, we always lived just a little bit too far away to spend more than the major holidays with mom's family. They were mostly in Columbus and we were nearly two hours away in Centerville. Sure, two hours doesn't sound like much to you or me--but when you factor in three screaming, sleepy children, a two hour drive can last a lifetime. Despite the distance, I'm proud to say we know all of our aunts and uncles and most of our cousins (look, we have a really big family, okay?!). I'm prouder to say that during these recent months, we've really gotten close to several family members. With Aunt Char staying with my family for a few weeks, I know my dad has really appreciated establishing an amazing friendship with her. My sister already had a very good relationship with Aunt Jeannie and her family, and know I know why why! The Seabrooks are amazing. Aunt Chris is pretty far removed (physically) living in Texas, but her emails have kept me strong and inspired. The Lakemans have been super supportive from North Carolina--even coming to visit the family in Ohio! It's so cool to see so many family members coming out of the woodwork providing emotional and physical support. We have an awesome family. I'm so happy to be a part of it.

Do you ever feel like every thought you have, every move you make is slower than it should be? Occasionally, I exaggerate these feelings and try to literally move in slow motion to make myself feel better about my sluggish thoughts, but this is not always possible.

Recently, things have really picked up for me at work. This is great, because I love my job. Especially because it involves spending most of my day in the operating room watching skilled surgeons at work. I get to analyze what they do and suggest ways to improve their technique with the devices that my company manufactures. Usually, they are already flawless and so it really just means standing beside them and learning as much as I can about the procedure they are performing on any given day.

So feeling like I'm moving at the speed of sloth is not very beneficial. When I'm standing around and the world is passing me by at warp speed, I cannot be considered an effective employee, friend, or family member.

Luckily for me, most of the time, my world is playing out at regular speed and I only experience the slow-motion blues after a long day at work when I'm trying to extend my productiveness to my after-hours activities like cleaning and updating this website.

Clearly, I haven't been very good at this. This week, I've not only neglected updates on Traci, I've neglected TALKING to Traci! This must change. I think I'm going to put some red tape on my slow-down mode and try and embrace life at normal speed. No more standing around and letting the world whizz by as I stand on the corner looking confused. No more neglecting my updates and my family. I'm going to give the effort I should be giving to publishing appropriate updates and not just throwing a few words down just to feel like I've not been completely complacent.

And if you see me starting to slow down...starting to get a glazed-over look in my eyes, please, snap your fingers and yell at me, "WAKE UP SLEEPY FACE!" Because falling asleep at the wheel of life is dangerous.

A few years ago, while deployed to Iraq, I met an incredible person named Gordon. Gordon kept me sane during the time I worked in the First Infantry Division Headquarters. At the time, he was the director of the 1ID Band and one of his official duties as such was to try and keep up our morale. I can honestly say that if it weren't for him, there would have been many days I would have been incredibly miserable.

Gordon would make me laugh on days when all I felt was forlorn. Together we would walk to the chow hall for interesting meals, listen to the sound of war around us and escape into the little chapel where a piano sat, ready for use at any time. Gordon would play the piano for me, or come and find me playing during my most stressful moments.

When I got the chance to go home from my sister's wedding in 2004, Gordon helped me write a song to sing at the wedding and then recorded the background track to accompany the delightful lyrics. Gordon's poetry is incredible. His ability to capture emotions in concise, yet lyrical phrases is incredible.

Gordon once dreamed of writing a broadway show and I hope he does. He can make you laugh, make you cry and at the end of the day, he will always make you glad you've had a chance to experience his talent.

Even though we sat about 20 feet from each other in a large ballroom during most of the day, we would email back and forth from sun up to sun down. I am so grateful that Gordon and I have remained in touch over the years. While our correspondence has become sporadic, it hasn't ceased. And nothing can make me smile quite as big as seeing Gordon's name in my inbox.

This morning, I woke up to such a joy. G was having trouble sleeping and so he wrote a poem for my sister:

Traci, off to Wonderland, to search a magic answerThe Jabberwocky, this time 'round, is also known as cancerHer friends and family, with love, her armor do enhanceHer laughter, brave and full of joy, rings out on her advanceHer face shines with a bright resolve and fearsome is her lanceHer Vorpal Sword goes snicker-snack; the monster has no chanceVile melanoma put to flight by Traci's steely glanceHer triumph so magnificent, she strikes a hero's stanceAnd Aedan; Willy; Finnegan? Why, they begin to danceHer husband, Andy, overcome with thoughts of pure romancePerhaps will whisk her off to spend a month in southern France Or maybe back to Michigan, where cousins, sibs, and auntsCan all spend time together with the joy that this world grants

Here's a fun fact about me: I write messages to myself in the steam on the shower door and with a dry-erase marker on my mirror in the bathroom. Usually, I try to stick to words of encouragement or goals for myself. But today, the same word kept appearing. In the steam, on my mirror, and in my heart: INSPIRE. The invisible subtext was something I often hear from my cousin, Sarah. "Be the change..." I know there is more to Ghandi's famous phrase, but today, that's all I heard. It pushed me to reach out on Facebook and offer to try and inspire my friends and family. I often find that by reaching out to help others, I ususally end up helping myself the most. As soon as I hit enter of my FB post, I received a request for motivation. As I sat there, I realized I hadn't really thought this through. What could I say that would inspire someone? How do you motivate someone in life? As I pondered what I could say that might lift my friend's spirit, I decided to write as much for myself as for her, or anyone else. And then the ideas kept flowing...and suddenly, I felt better than I had in a long time. In that moment, in those moments, I was happy. And as it turns out, I still am.

I'm inspired to share my responses to Mary, Alex, Mike, Amanda and Steve as I am hoping that they will buoy your mood as much as it did mine.

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**My message to Mary Tobin: Happiness is a choice. If you're having trouble making that choice for yourself, look around you and you'll find that smiles are contagious. Decide to be happy not just for you--but for everyone you encounter each day. To Alex Glade: Alex, you inspire me every day. When you look at others, you see all of their good. You see the kindness in someone's eyes. You pick up on their gentle touch or their incredible strength. It's easy to find the good in others, but ignore the good in ourselves. When I see you, I see the most inspiring person I know. I see someone that stands up for what's right and laughs in the face of adversity. What makes your keen observations so wonderful is that you are not afraid to voice them. Never forget how far a kind word can carry someone. So say something nice--not only to those you meet, but also to yourself.

Mike Mills requested something in regards to patience: Patience is difficult, but the moments that are spent waiting for something to happen or someone to change are our chance to breathe. They give us a chance to take a mental snapshot of our lives--just as they are and embrace what each day offers. The challenges, the rewards--each of these are what keeps life exciting. When life asks you to wait, take the time to look around you and appreciate all the good that surrounds you. After all, you will never get another chance to live in that moment again. Enjoy it. For Amanda Lowenberger, who is a brand new mommy (YAY!): There is nothing quite like seeing the world through a child's eyes. The wonderful thing about a child is they see the joy in everything around them. They take the time to stop and smell the roses--for this is a discovery to them. They do not know what a rose will smell like. We think we do, but each has a unique fragrance and if we are too busy or distracted to take the time to discover this, we may miss out on unimaginable joy. Today, as you look around you, marvel at this universe. Even the most mundane of things around us hold incredible potential. Appreciate the little things and you will appreciate life more than you thought possible.And Steve Ruggiero, who wanted something to write on his mirror: One of my favorite things to write on my mirror is, "In this moment, I am happy." Every day is full of challenges and frustrations, but each day is also full of triumphs and joy. By declaring ourselves happy with each small victory, we can start to appreciate how great life is.

Instead of writing new stories (probably like I should be), I've been adding more to the existing stories. Thanks to my fantastic brother, there is an update to the "Baseball in Africa" story that brings the analogies back to the US. I've also added some new letters to the kids that are from their Auntie Genevieve. Finally, I wrote a rough-draft version of "Stuck in the Mud."